Heed 505

Honda CBR1000RR: Sportbike of the Year

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Certainly there are aspects of this job that one can take for granted i.e. getting to ride all the latest and greatest powersports equipment. And with the constant and never ending flow of new motorcycles, it becomes difficult to remember each and every bike's individual attributes. This afternoon, I took a spin aboard the 2009 Honda CBR1000RR, recipient of our Sportbike of the Year award, and all I can say is WOW!

Recently, having ridden a variety of other less-performance oriented street bikes, I forgot just how awesome of a machine Honda’s superbike is. It’s simply amazing the amount of performance Honda has laced this bike with. Perhaps even better, is that this performance doesn’t come at the cost of day-to-day road worthiness.

The engine’s powerband is smooth and easy to manipulate, as is its light-action clutch and faultless transmission. Feel like just cruising? Then keep the rpms below 6000 and short-shift through each of its six gears. Feel like letting er’ rip? Pin the throttle and excess revs expose its fat mid-range, which scoots you forward like nothing else this side of a catapult. Plus, the engine offers minimal vibration throughout its 13,300 rev range while remaining as quiet as Grandma’s sewing machine.

Equally as exciting are its braking capabilities which make the act of stopping arguably as entertaining as accelerating. Like the engine, its Showa suspension bits are adaptable and can be set-up to deliver a forgiving ride on the street or a taunt, racy experience around the track. Lastly, the rider compartment is about as tolerant as sportbikes come.

If you’re in the market for a high-performance street bike that you can rip around on the weekends then commute on during the week, you won't find anything better than Honda’s $12,999 CBR1000RR.

Jack
-To Rendiss
January 27, 2010 04:35 PM
"If the CBR1000 is “The” bike to have then why do I see 10 GSXR1000s for every one CBR1000 at all the races including both AMA and club racing? Why is the CBR1000 NOT the number one selling liter bike in America? Why has the CBR1000 not won any championships with the 2008 design? Maybe these facts in-turn explain the press gushing over the CBR1000 because if you can’t beat your competition on the track then beat them in the media."
Argumentum ad populum(wiki it). Harleys must be the best bikes because they are the biggest brand name, and I see 100 harleys to every gsxr.

Gasser
-Gasser to -Daniel
January 7, 2010 10:12 PM

Gasser to -Daniel

Daniel, young man, twist that thing, time's a wast'en.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I weight 168 with full race gear and have the stock suspension set up tight for the bikes natural ease @ buck 40 to 60 range of operation, (Kau Desert) because of that blunt nose the bike is Buick smooth, pushing air away with out the need for a double bubble to keep your neck in joint on long rides---but to hang out in the triple digits for long periods of time, 26db ear plugs are a must if you want to enjoy what this bike can do without scaring you to a poser slow pace because of rushing air sound in the helmet---Full race leathers a must---rocketship ride---rocketship gear.

Also I have a Radar/Laser detector with wireless in helmet led warning signal and Laser stealth coated light lens, dude I lost my lic twice for 90 day's on my 06 CBR getting popped in the triple digits---made sure that won't happen again.

And also I installed a Vista Cruz throttle clamp that I set when in town and just let go of the bars sit up straight, this lets me monitor the mirrors better and look way more forward without going over the speed limit because you know just a 3/32" of twist on throttle is 20+ mile hr instant lurch forward---gotta love that mid range shit!

Plus I have a off road Quad emergency brake holder mounted on the clutch lever perch, when I'm stuck in down mountain traffic, I pull the clutch in and push the holder tab in, let go of the bars and let gravity do it's job, as I scan the road for debris, hot looking chicks or the next triple digit section I can nail it to pass'em all.

This CBR is so well balanced that with no hands, just sliding you butt off the seat, the bike turns with clear predictability at any speed with ease because of the Japanese metallurgic origami weight shifting magic achieving the CBR's spot on handling with good ergonomics, my fun rides (retired) are 250 to 300 mi long three times a week rain or shine just to do it.

On every Sunday I ride a light flickable quick KTM 200 in the woods, jungle's and lava flows---I know when a bike handles spot on---the CBR is the KTM on the street out of the box.~~~~~~~~~~~Don't let this happen to you!

"I should have rode

Cause I could have rode

But I procrastinated like a spode

My bitchen bike sits there in corrode mode

As I make insurance/bike payments by the truck load"

~Gasser~

RENDELL
-TO Rendiss
January 5, 2010 07:19 PM
Jeremy Burgess,(Rossi's crew chief) said motorcycle racing is 80 per cent man and 20 per cent machine. True, the CBR may not be the baddest bike out of the box. I agree with you that they are all super close. I go by what fits me best and for me it was the CBR. In my heart I bleed Ninja but in '08 it didn't fit me as well as the CBR so I bought the Honda. Personally, I'd be happy with any of them. GSXRs... as awesome as they are, it's still the man.

T. Tony
-Choices
January 5, 2010 03:57 PM
“Feel like just cruising? Then keep the rpms below 6000 and short-shift through each of its six gears". Or, own one of the other sportbikes that have a drive mode selection and put it on the lowest setting and cruise without having to short shift through the gears below 6K rpms like an over caffeinated monkey.“Feel like letting er’ rip? Pin the throttle and excess revs expose its fat mid-range, which scoots you forward like nothing else this side of a catapult”. Except for a Kawasaki ZX-10R

Chuck
-Tito
January 5, 2010 03:48 PM
“Probably succes of GSXRs in USA is cultural thing”. Tito, what are you talking about “cultural thing”. Maybe if we were talking about the Buell or a Ford Mustang I could see “culture” being a factor. The success of the GSXR was because it crossed the finish line before the Honda…every time.

Daniel
-Yes CBR
January 5, 2010 02:52 PM
Hey Gasser...just keep it going Bud......I am 60 year old rider...still hope I'm going at 68...just got a new Cbr. A great motorcycle. It is true all the sportbike have about the same HP but compared to the Honda they all seem like huge turds.....Honda leads , the others follow. They did make one mistake though....should never never have let Rossi go. I bet they have been kicking their own ass ever since.......Ya all ride safe, and get high smokin Hogs :-)

Tito
-CBR
January 5, 2010 01:55 PM
Here in Europe CBR makes most numbers in any raceing level. It is the best pakage for less money. Probably succes of GSXRs in USA is cultural thing. Sure most superbikes have very close performance, but with others than CBR, most riders will need some 10 laps more around the track to do same lap times as the Honda. Install the basic superbike kit with exaust, powercommand and other little bits and it will outperform other japanese bikes that will need some little extra $. Sorry if some desagree, but that is fact, CBR is the easyest to ride fast from the start, and easy on streets. That is when you are talking about the afordable japanese bikes, not high euro aprillia, bmw or ducati. At the end, people talk down the CBR because they are fans of other brands and that counts when you buy. CBR looks weird, but I would buy the ugly GSXR or the hot tail, oversized R1 if they were easyer to ride fast faster than the Honda.

Rendiss
-CBR ?
January 5, 2010 11:18 AM
Last I checked all of the liter bikes have about the same power with the Honda actually trailing behind a little from some of its competitors. Most have Showa suspension and a chassis that have won some championship titles as of late. All the liter bikes have outstanding brakes built to the same spec along with seamless EFI. The Honda is a great bike but so is its competition.

The CBR1000RR is now on its third model year since its last update and it is just as unsightly looking now as it was three years ago. I’ve ridden all the liter bikes, except the BMW & Aprilia, and the differences are nearly nonexistent. Guess this is where some wise guy will say I don’t have the skill to push the bike far enough to reach its true potential. Although this may be true, the same goes for the other bikes full potential, so it is all relative.

If the CBR1000 is “The” bike to have then why do I see 10 GSXR1000s for every one CBR1000 at all the races including both AMA and club racing? Why is the CBR1000 NOT the number one selling liter bike in America? Why has the CBR1000 not won any championships with the 2008 design? Maybe these facts in-turn explain the press gushing over the CBR1000 because if you can’t beat your competition on the track then beat them in the media.

The CBR1000 is a great bike no doubt about it but it simply doesn’t put the smack down on all of its competition.

RENDELL
-to Gasser
January 5, 2010 09:11 AM
Awesome write up. I bought the 08, it was everything MotoUSA said it would be. This is my 11th motorcycle. I had more fun on the 03 RC51 but it didn't handle like a 600 nor did it have the jet engine power like the CBR 1000RR. This CBR 1000RR really does everything super good all in one package. Too much fun, almost lost my license once on this red space shuttle.

Gasser
-08/09 Honda CBR 1000RR
January 5, 2010 08:31 AM
Aloha!

Reading the post about your opinions on the 09 Honda CBR 1000RR, so here is my riding experience on the licensed for the street race bike, this is no wussy machine, it flat out hauls butt as it holds the front wheel up 1st through 3rd gear easily, you can fan the clutch in forth and get it up again till it hit’s the rev limiter then get down behind the wind screen and keep it WOT up shifting to the top of 6th gear> 182mph, and it will do this @ the 6000 ft level on Saddle Road here on the Big Island of Hawaii where I live and ride the light flickable CBR 1000RR motocross style.

The flat looking front faring blows the air away so your helmet does not bobble around and crank your neck like the pointed nose 06 CBR will, been there, had one for 38,000 miles worth.

The one finger front brakes work like magic, and the bike won’t stand up under hard braking in the corners, the slipper clutch will save your butt as you bang down gears setting up for that “now” 100 MPH+ turn you used to take @ a scared 70 MPH with your old whatever bike.

The fuel injection is seamless smooth and the shifting is also butter smooth…the electronic steering dampener will keep you out of the hospital as you come down from 100Mph wheelies and over pot holed patch work rough roads @ a buck fifty+…there doing that every weekend…my axiom is “Go faster than the crash” being an off road dirt bike Rock Island Rider this gets me to the finish line 99% of the time, and same holds true on the street.

I cut the “hemorrhoid” looking license plate/turn signal off it’s thorax and hinge mounted the lic plate in front of the rear wheel so when the wheel comes up the license plate gets pushed up an away from the rear tire when I “G” out on table top jumps and steep down hill landings, I also mounted small LED turn signal lights near the tail light, the bike now looks more proportional and race ready.

I got 31,000 miles on that bad puppy and never once did it ever try to spit me off from Hawaii's nasty pot holed Saddle Road.

FYI> I am 68 yr old now, started motocross and off road racing @ 44 yr old and never stopped, still on the gas…dirt/street… going on 25 years now...bottom line is> don’t die trying to save your life, remember “fear is the master intellectual fraud” go faster than the crash!

Wannabe the bad boy on the block? Get an 08/09 CBR1000RR.

~Gasser~

Biker11111
-09 Blade
January 5, 2010 12:59 AM
Lucky for Honda they don't seem take design into account, seems a strange choice with Aprilia and BMW having what look to be far better packages......

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